This invention relates generally to medical devices and procedures, and more particularly to flexible, power driven catheters for performing surgical and other procedures within a vessel, duct or lumen of a living being.
In U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 06/765,034, (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,112), 06/909,652, (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,106), 06/909,802 (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,558) and 06/914,954, (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,905), filed on Aug. 12, 1985, Sept. 22, 1986, Sept. 22, 1986 and Oct. 3, 1986, respectively, and each entitled Catheter Based Surgical Methods and Apparatus Therefor, of which we are co-inventors, and whose disclosures are incorporated by reference herein there are disclosed and claimed flexible, power driven catheters for performing, with minimum invasion to the body, intravascular surgery and other intralumenar procedures. Among the procedures disclosed and claimed in those applications are the following: peripheral and coronary vascular recanalization via the removal of plaque and/or the dilation of vessels, dilation of small bodily lumens, such as eustachian or fallopian tubes, removal of thrombi, destruction of stones, such as gallstones, kidney stones, bile stones, etc., and in situ valvulectomy.
The catheters disclosed therein basically comprise elongated flexible members having a distal end at which a working head is located. The working head is arranged to be moved at a high rate of speed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the catheter by a drive assembly. In accordance with some preferred aspects of the invention the working head of rotary and is rotated about the longitudinal axis by the drive assembly. The drive assembly includes the elongated drive means for the working head and extending through the catheter from the working head to a first remote, proximal location. The drive assembly includes elongated bearing means which extends down the catheter from a point adjacent the working meas to a second remote, proximal location. One of either the drive means or the bearing means is formed as a spiral of at least one wire wrapped about the other of those means, whereupon the drive means can be rotated freely with respect to the other means and to the catheter to effect the movement, e.g., rotation, of the working head. The drive means and the bearing means cooperate with each other to maintain the drive means at a neutral position within the catheter as the catheter is bent through any arc up to a minimum radiuus of curvature, while enabling the drive means to be rotated at a high rotational speed without resulting in undue vibration which would interfere with the procedure being carried out by the catheter.
Notwithstanding the inventions of our earlier noted applications, the need presently exists for other medical devices or apparatus for performing various other medical and/or surgical procedures or techniques with minimal invasion of the body. In particular, the need presently exists for effecting the formation of a restriction or occlusion in a vessel, duct or lumen of the body, e.g., the formation of a restriction of occlusion of the fallopian tube to sterilize a woman, with minimum invasion of the woman's body.